Walrus

Odobenus rosmarus (Linnaeus, 1758)

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Walruses are among the strangest living mammals. They feed on animals that live on or in the sea floor. Their large tusks are used in fighting but also for cutting through ice, hooking over ice for stability while sleeping, and helping to pull its body out of the water. Walruses sometimes use their heads to break through ice up to 8 inches thick. The male walrus baculum (penis bone),may be up to 24 inches long.

Biological Information

Range:

Circum-polar: northeast coast of Siberia, northwest coast of Alaska, north and northwest coast of Greenland, and Ellesmere Island

Habitat:

Arctic Ocean near edge of polar ice

Status:

Populations small but not currently threatened

Diet:

Shellfish, echinoderms and crabs

Further information about this species may be found on the Animal Diversity Web page for walrus.